Glass Orb

F i r s t C h a p t e r ~

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Hwan Hui stood in front of Dasom High, scared to go in and face the people who despise her for something that didn’t happen and didn’t do. But she knew she had to face them.

She didn’t know why she didn’t just come out straight and tell them she didn’t do it, she doubt they’d believe her anyways.

She sighed for the umpteenth time, now wondering what was she going to do.

Her grandma is going to die, oh her loving grandma.. The only person she ever trusted, the person who took care of her since she was young.

After her grandma is gone, what will she do? She can’t possibly live alone! She’s 17 and still in high school, she knew for sure the government would throw her in an orphanage.

People were now staring at her weirdly for standing in the middle of the gate for so long. ‘’God, is she on drugs now too? She looks so dazed,’’ a person whispered to her friend.

Hwan Hui lowered her head and walked away, her hand tightening on the straps of her backpack.

‘Oh yippie. Will that be a new rumor now? ‘Hwan Hui smokes weed and does drugs at the back of the school’. Wouldn’t that be just peachy..’ Hwan Hui thought sarcastically.

She sat down on her assigned seat and pulled out her notebook, placing it on the center of her desk.

She felt someone staring at her and looked out the window, no one was there. ‘’That was weird..’’ she murmured to herself. She shrugged and continued to listen to the boring lecture the professor was giving.

After 2 hours of lectures, it was break time. Hwan Hui blankly sat on a bench, mind empty like always. ''Hey, Hwan Hui! Want to hang out with us?'' a very high-pitched voice asked.

Hwan Hui slowly looked up. Hae Mi, the Queenka at her school. The girl who started the rumor about her and the senior guy.

''Oh sorry never mind. I forgot you had AIDS. Hahaha. I don't want to get infected by your germs. Sorry~ Bye.'' she waved her hand and strutted away, with her boyfriend's arm around her waist.

Hwan Hui got up and walked away, trying to ignore the people who were pointing and laughing at her. Thankfully, the bell rang and she hurried to class.

It was in the middle of class when the class wall phone rang. The teacher picked it up, face stiffened, nodded, and hung up.

''Hwan Hui.. your grandma's heart is giving up. They are calling you to the hospital to see her before she passes. Better hurry, dear.'' the teacher said.

Hwan Hui froze, grabbed her bag, and ran out. She waved for a taxi and told him to take her to the hospital.

Hwan Hui couldn't believe it. Well, she knew her grandma was going to die but not this early. They informed her she had another month to live, so she planned to go explore places, eat new foods, and have a good bye party with just the two of them.

But she couldn't do all that anymore. Her grandma was going to die any minute. ''Hurry please.'' Hwan Hui urged the taxi driver. She finally reached the hospital and slapped 10 dollar bill on the man's hand and rushed out.

She already knew the way to her grandma's hospital room since she visited everyday. She ran up the stairs, not wanting to waste her precious time waiting for an elevator.

She finally reached the 8th floor. Her legs were hurting from all that running but she didnt twice about it and ran again, towards her grandma's room was.

She pushed the door open she felt the air knocked out of her and not from the running. The doctor and nurses were surrounding the blanket-covered person and with a sad, pitiful expression.

She was too late.

''No.. no!! SHE CAN'T DIE YET! I DIDN'T GET TO SAY GOODBYE!!'' Hwan Hui shouted running to her dead grandma, covered by that white blanket.

The nurses didnt stop her and the doctor moved away the blanket, revealing her grandma. White, pale, and dead.

''Halmeoni.. y-you promised to be with me.. for a month more before you leave. Why?? Why did you break that promise..?'' Hwan Hui said, crumbling to the ground and sobbing into the sheets. Even the doctor seemed to be tearing up.

''Hwan Hui, I think.. it's time to put her in.'' the doctor said, putting a hand on my shoulder. Put her in? In that dreadful place below the hospital where they keep the dead people till the guardian picks it up for a funeral? In that silver metal thing.? Putting her dear grandma in such a cold, low place? Hwan Hui didn't allow it.

''No.'' she said firmly, shaking her head. ''Hwan Hui, we have to. Would you want her to rot here?'' the doctor pointed out. She didn't say anything and stormed out of the room.

She went home though school wasnt over yet and threw her stuff at the corner of the room and curled up next to window.

Hugging her knees to her chest, she sighed. 'Why is life so unfair? Then again, when was life ever fair?' she thought as a tear fell.

She heard a crash in the attic. Bam!

Hwan Hui cautiously stood up. 'Don't tell me there is a robber in the house. That'll just add up to my bad day.'

She grabbed the umbrella by the door and slowly went up the stairs and right under the attic. She pulled the string and the stairs sprung out. It was dusty. Really dusty.

Hwan Hui coughed and waved away the smoke. Obviously there hasn't been someone up there in ages, meaning no robber. 'But what was that sound?' she wondered.

Out of curiosity she climbed those old wooden steps carefully and went into the dusty attic.

Nothing was out of the ordinary, just a regular old attic full of unused supplies. But what caught Hwan Hui's eyes was a glass orb, laying right in the middle, not dusty, and looking sparkling clean.

''What.. the hell.'' she said, picking up the delicate object.

For some reason Hwan Hui kept it. She went back down and put it in her drawer, then went back to the hospital to see her dead grandma one last time. She couldn't afford a funeral.

She laid on her bed and took out the glass orb, staring at it again. ''Just what were you doing in that dusty attic?'' she said, speaking to it as if it would answer back.

The glass orb turned cold and suddenly started glowing. Colorful dust started to form inside it.